Changing the rules to win, the Senate Majority decided to take the extraordinary, and illegal, step in deciding they get two bites at the apple when they cut Missouri unemployment benefits from 20 weeks to 13. Unable to override the governor during regular session, the senators of the majority party took a mulligan and tried again during the September veto session. 

The Missouri Constitution is very clear – if a bill is vetoed early in the session, the override attempt happens during regular session.  If a bill is vetoed late in session, or after, the override attempt happens during veto session in September. There is no provision for do-overs.

The illegal maneuver comes on the heels of the Senate Majority’s forcing the passage of “Right-To-Work” during the last week of the regular legislative session in May.  That vote came after the Senate Majority refused to discuss, much less compromise, on the issue. That high drama came amid widespread predictions that the bill would be vetoed and did not have the votes to be overridden. Both predictions were correct.

I have never encountered a situation where the rules were so blatantly changed mid-course. Refusing to let critics have a voice is clearly not what Missourians believe.  Refusing to follow the constitution will almost certainly send this bill to court to be overturned. This waste of taxpayer money could have easily been avoided by simply playing by the rules.

Forest Park has over 1,300 acres of activities and beautiful landscapes.

A new GPS-enabled, interactive website allows easier access to information about what there is to do, and explore, on Forest Park's 1,371 acres. The new website provides information for more than 100 park destinations.

Forestparkmap.org literally does put Forest Park at your fingertips.

Forest Park offers a variety of events each month. The following events are offered this month:

• October 16 at 9:30 a.m.,  Heart of the Park Walking Tour Colors of Art Hill and the Glen;
• October 16-30 at 5:30 p.m.,  Boo at the Zoo Nights;
• October 18 at 1:00 p.m.,  Family Sundays at the Art Museum;
• October 20 at 6:30 p.m., The Annual George E. Mylonas Lecture in Classical Art and Archaeology; and
• October 21 at 10:30 a.m., Wee Wednesdays at the Art Museum.

For more events in Forest Park, click here.

Open enrollment for the coming year runs from October 15 to December 7.

For 2016 Medicare Part D Plans, open enrollment is October 15, 2015 through December 7, 2015. Medicare Part D plans chosen during that time-frame will begin January 1, 2016.

You can sign up for Medicare as soon as you become eligible, regardless of what month it is. But each year, you have the option of making changes to your Medicare Advantage and prescription drug plan (or Medicare Part D) during open enrollment.

During this time-frame, participants can switch from original Medicare to Medicare Advantage, or vice versa. You can also switch from one Medicare Advantage plan to another, or from one Medicare Part D (prescription drug) plan to another, or drop your Medicare Part D coverage altogether.

• Visit www.medicare.gov to enroll for Medicare Part D.
• Visit www.missouriclaim.org or call 1-800-390-3330 to get help from the Missouri Department of Insurance to choose a plan that best meets your needs. CLAIM provides free, unbiased help to Missourians (and their caregivers) who are on Medicare, the elderly and people with disabilities. (Some public servers may not support the CLAIM link.)
• Visit www.morx.mo.gov for prescription drug assistance and coordination of Medicare’s (Part D) Prescription Drug Program; enrollment is free and year-round.
• Visit Extra Help to learn about the extra help to which you are entitled. 

During the open enrollment period, consumers can change their Part D drug coverage or Medicare Advantage plans. Medicare is not part of the federal health insurance marketplace under the Affordable Care Act.

By utilizing the assistance of a CLAIM counselor, Missourians can get better health care and drug coverage or save money by signing up for a different plan. Counselors might also help citizens who are living on a limited income by notifying them whether or not they qualify for federal or state assistance to pay for prescription drugs. 
If you turn 65 or become eligible for Medicare outside of the annual open enrollment period, you have a seven-month window in which to enroll in the current year's plan and avoid any possible penalties:

• Three months before the month of your eligibility (your birth month);
• The month of your eligibility (the month you turn 65); and
• Three months after the month you become eligible for Medicare.

Your coverage will begin either on the first day of your birth month or, when you join during or after your birth month, on the first day of the month after the month in which you join.

There’s also a dis-enrollment period that runs from January 1 to February 14 each year. During this time, Medicare Advantage enrollees can switch back to original Medicare, and can then sign up for Medicare Part D.

Open enrollment for the coming year runs from November 1 through January 31.

This year, open enrollment runs November 1, 2015 through January 31, 2016.  There are several ways to learn more about the ACA or the federal Health Insurance Marketplace:

• Call the Marketplace Call Center: 1-800-318-2596, it is open 24/7.
• Visit www.healthcare.gov for live chat assistance.
• Visit CuidadoDeSalud.gov for Spanish.
• Visit www.covermissouri.org.
• TTY users should call 1-855-889-4325.

Cover Missouri: Helping Missourians Find Affordable Health Insurance

Cover Missouri is a coalition of community organizations from around Missouri that are dedicated to helping consumers understand their insurance options. Coalition members include Navigators and Certified Application Counselors (CAC), who can assist you to:

• Understand and navigate new health insurance rules and requirements;
• Understand health insurance basics;
• Research and understand ways to help pay for health insurance;
• Understand the Missouri Health Insurance Marketplace, rules and restrictions and;
• Help understand where and how to purchase insurance.

There are no fees to use the marketplace or to receive help from a Navigator or CAC. No one should solicit health coverage to you. Here is a checklist of information you will need when you sign up:

• Social Security Numbers (or document numbers for legal immigrants)
• Employer and income information for every member of your household who needs coverage (for example, from pay stubs or W-2 forms—Wage and Tax Statements)
• Policy numbers for any current health insurance plans covering members of your household.

If you are in need of a plan, you must sign up by January 31, unless your family qualifies for a Special Enrollment Period. This time-frame is a time period outside of open enrollment when you and your family have a right to sign up for health coverage. In the Marketplace, you qualify for a special enrollment period 60 days following certain life events that involve a change in family status like marriage, the birth of a child or loss of other health coverage.

• There’s no limited enrollment period for Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). You can apply any time.
• There’s also no limited enrollment period for small businesses to enroll in SHOP coverage for their employees. You can apply any time.

The workshops are free and take place at the St. Louis Arc Center Family Center located at 1177 N. Warson Rd., in St. Louis.

The St. Louis Arc Family Workshop Series will provide in-depth information on topics to help them support family members with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

The workshops are free and take place at the St. Louis Arc Center Family Center, located at 1177 N. Warson Rd., in St. Louis.

Teen-Young Adults: Preparing for Employment
October 20 from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Presenters: Kathleen Kopriva, vocational rehabilitation and Brian Hubler, director of supported employment and transition services, of St. Louis Arc.

Teen-Young Adults: State and Federal Benefits
October 27 from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Presenter: Bhavik R. Patel, attorney, Sandberg Phoenix & von Gontard P.C.

Any Age: What is Music Therapy?
October 14 from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Presenter: Katie Norvell, music therapist.

Any Age: What Happens to My Child When I’m Gone?
October 21 from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Presenter: Carol Crebs, parent.

Children's Class: Uncovering and Supporting Your Child’s Sensory Needs at Home
November 19 from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Presenters: Bridget Hormberg, occupational therapist, Belle Children’s Services of St. Louis Arc and Joy Bender, occupational therapist, Belle Children’s Services of St. Louis Arc.

Advance registration is required. For more information, to register, or to receive our weekly email newsletters, please email Brianne Smith at bsmith@slarc.org or call (314) 817-2216. Plan to arrive 15 minutes before the workshop starts to sign-in and collect handouts.

The Missouri Division of Energy's weatherization tips can be found here: www.energy.mo.gov/energy/consumers/consumer-tips.

This time of year, as the days get shorter and much cooler, typically we all experience a need for our in-home heaters much sooner than we would like too. This is also the time of year we discover places in our homes where cold air drafts are present and in need of attention. By taking some easy steps, you may be able to weatherize your home, saving your family some money and avoiding those colder spots in your home.

The Missouri Division of Energy recommends checking these places in your homes to see if they are in need of some repairs and to help keep more of your money in your pocket by way of saving on your heating bill.

• Around door and window frames - inside and out; check window pane putty.
• Places where brick and wood siding meet.
• Joints between the chimney and siding.
• Between the foundation and walls.
• Around mail chutes.
• Around electrical and gas service entrances, cable T.V. and phone lines, and outdoor water faucets.
• Where dryer vents pass through walls.
• Cracks in bricks, siding, stucco and foundation.
• Around air conditioners.
• Around vents and fans.
• Wherever two different materials meet.
• Around electrical line penetrations in the attic and crawlspace.

For more information about low-income weatherization, contact:
Missouri Department of Natural Resources
Division of Energy
P.O. Box 176
Jefferson City, MO 65102-0176
1-800-361-4827 or (573) 751-2254
E mail: energy@dnr.mo.gov
Website: www.energy.mo.gov/energy/communities/assistance-programs/low-income-weatherization-assistance-program-(liwap)#wxdescrip

Primary funding for Missouri's weatherization efforts comes from the U.S. Department of Energy's Weatherization Assistance Program. These funds are administered by the department's Division of Energy according to federal guidelines. AmerenUE is able to offer further funding for low-income assistance programs.

The Low-Income Weatherization Program is a great program to help with weatherization tips and to serve as a possible funding resource.

The Missouri Division of Energy's Weatherization Tips can be found here: www.energy.mo.gov/energy/consumers/consumer-tips.

These two St. Louis agencies are great local resources for finding our funding available in our area:

• Community Action Agency of St. Louis County (314) 863-0015; and
• Urban League of Metro. St. Louis (314) 615-3600.